Send those Box Tops in to the Watchtower!

by VM44 9 Replies latest jw friends

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  VM44

  Back in the 1930's, the Watchtower had a special task for all the congregations (at that time called companies!) They were to have people clip box tops from cereal boxes! These box tops were then gathered and sent off to the Society.

  I believe that at the time, box tops could be redeamed for cash $$$$

  They even had "thermometer" charts in the Kingdom Halls to show how well they were doing in meeting their goals!

  This was a theocratic activity?

  I personally think this was going too far. The WT warns against materialism and the persuit of money, but the WT itself is continually concerned with money, buildings and other material objects. The people are viewed merely to be used, like for the collection of cereal "box tops"!

  --VM44
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  ohiocowboy

  It doesn't surprise me a bit-And my guess as to the most popular box tops came from Frosted "Flakes"!!!
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  Stephanus

  Did they have "bottle drives" too, with congregations bringing all their empties in so the Tower could cash them in for the deposit? Can you believe that organisation?
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  SwampThing

  VM44,

  It?s a pleasure to meet you, my friend. Your post mentions that the WT "warns against materialism and the pursuit of money." Would you be so kind as to explain this to me in more depth? Where is the line drawn between paying one?s bills and earning more than one needs to survive? Who sets the standard of living they are expected to not pass? It is obvious to me from observing the JW?s I know personally that they all live much better than let us say a monk in a monastery, and many have different standards of economic lifestyles. How much is too much? Are they not supposed to invest? Or own new cars?

  Kind regards,

  Swamp Thing
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  czarofmischief

  That WAS in the middle of the Great Depression. I mean, you gotta get the cash from somewhere...

  CZAR
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  VM44

  Hello Swamp Thing, nice to meet you and thank you for responding to my post.

  I do not speak against making a living, or paying bills, or living well. Making money is a part of living. I am for earning money! :)

  My point is that the Watchtower was having people gather coupons. Each coupon was worth only a small amount, so thousands of coupons would have to be gathered in order receive a meaningful amount of cash. But the Watchtower thought it was worthwhile enough to start a "box top" collecting campaign.

  Hence my question, "This is a theocratic activity?"

  And though it was during the Depression, I still think the WT went too far with this "box top" collection activity.

  But then again, money was tight, and this was a time when the WT did sell its books for a profit. That was how the pioneers supported themselfs, from the profit made selling WT books! Rutherford once sent a box of books to some pioneers as a gift, so they could sell the books and then buy themself some shoes! How generous Rutherford was!...NOT!

  --VM44

  P.S. My source for this "box top" story is from the transcipt book of the Moyle libel trial. An issue of what passed for the "Kingdom Ministry" back then was introduced as evidence, and appears in the transcript, and the "box top" activity is mentioned there.
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  Carmel

  vm44, perhaps you should define exactly what the limits of a "theocratic organization" are. Any organization has to have funding to carry out its organized activities, even a religion. I concede the witlesses have a hard time bashing "materialism" whilst at the same time preaching for an eternal "material reward". Always has been a major contridiction for me. As to the activities of every day life, an organization needs funds to operate and I would not think that raising money is in itself a disqualifier for "theocracy". Lord knows the Dubbies have plenty of other contraditions that perform that well enough..

  carmel
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  VM44

  Hi carmel, There is nothing wrong with collecting "box tops" as a fund raising activity. However, collecting box tops is itself not a "theocratic" activity. Perhaps it is if you are doing it for "God's Organization." I thought strange though the Watchtower once organized such a box top "fund raising" activity. Perhaps I view it as too much a commercial activity. The WT thought it efficient to squeeze pennies from each family, the box tops would have been thrown out anyway, and if all the Witnesses contributed, it would add up to a hefty amount. But, and perhaps this is what bothers me, does the Watchtower view its members as a revenue source? or slaves, to do as they are told in a top-down orgainization? Example, would the Watchtower Society rather received a $500 monetary contribution from a person, or a detailed 500 page research report they had done on the years 607BC and 1914? Which one would result in praise and a "thank you," and which would result in condemnation, letters being sent, visits from elders, possible disfellowshipping, etc? --VM44
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  VM44

  Here is something about the WT and money. Chapter 4 of Barbara Harrison's "Visions of Glory," "Accumulating Wealth While the World Refuses to Die" She starts right off describing another WT "fund raising" activity, the selling of "Miracle Wheat" for $5 a bushel, 5 times the going market rate. http://www.exjws.net/vg4.htm The Watchtower has stated once that this was an innocent activity, such as a "cake sell" to raise funds. But the "Miracle Wheat" episode still is considered as a questionable activity. It just sounded too much like a scam, whatever the original intentions were of Charles Russell. --VM44
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  observador

  This thread brought me memories of when my former congregation was building a new Kimgdom Hall: the elders were initially urging the "brothers" to bring in all types of recyclable that could be converted into money: alluminun cans, cardboards, glass bottles, etc.

  Until they realized that this wasn't working. Then they took a more radical approach: "brothers, we need money". Then, the argument presented was both simple and effective: "we cannot build a house to Jehovah out of trash, my brothers. Doesn't the Bible say we need to honor Jehovah with our valuable things?" quoting all kinds of Bible reference you can imagine.

  The result? A few years later the Hall was built. And this wasn't but just about 10 years ago.

  Nothing that a good, Bible based (tm) drive can't accomplish. How sad.

  Observador.